KXTRACT FRO~t A MANUSCRIPT .JOUHNAij 1
iUlL.o\'i'lNO TO 'l'TIP..
SIEGE OF QUEBEC IN 1759.
tŒPT BY
COLONEL MALCOLM FRASER.1.
Then Lieutena11t of the 78th (Fraset''s llighlandere,) u4 ~Jeniog in that ()au1paigu.
nlLlr,.;J,_,J ~meler l],~ ttu-spic~~ "' th~ LiftrO'l!J Ctli.d OhJfOt·ù·a-i Soct~I!J, Qtll'btt:.. t .....,. <&>' lro ('( EXT.RACT FROM A MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL ' RELATING TO THE OPERATIONS BEFORE QUEBEC IN 1759,
KEPT BY
COLONEL MALCOLM FRASER,
Then Lieutenant of .the 78th (Fraser's Highlanders,) and servmg in that Campaign.
[Col. .M:. Fraser died in 1815, at the age of 82. 'l'he original of this manuscript is in the possession of the family of the late Hon. J. M. Fraser, who kindly allowed this copy to be made from it for the use of the Literary and Historical Society.]
Tuesday, 8th. 1\fay, 1759. Set sail from Sandy Hook for Louis burg with a fair wind, un der con voy of the Nightingale, Captain Campbell, the fl.eet consisting of about twenty eigbt Sail ; the greatest part of whicb is to take in the Troops from Nova Scotia, and the rest having Colonel Fraser's Regiment on board. Thursday, 17th. May. W e came into the harbour of Louis bourg, having had a very agreable and quick passage. W e are ordered ashore every day while here, to exorcise along with the rest of the Army. On the 29th. 1\lay, and sorne days bcfore and after, the Harbour of Louisbourg was so full of sho!lls of lee tbat no boats could go from the Ships to Shore. There is still somc snow in the hollows, on shore, I suppose the 1et• corr1c.s f ·n m th" Qulf unt! riyt; r of ~ t J,r, w·t•ç n, ... 1 ]Jear a Lieutenant, on board one of the l\Icn of \Var, has shot himsclf~ for fear I suppose, the French should do it. If he was wcarîed of life, be might soon get quit of it in a more honourable way. lst.. June, The Regiments arc all arrîved, aod I hear we .· lJall soon sail. Monday, •1th. June, the Fleet set sail. I take it to consist of about 150 sail, including ten of the line of battle, besidcs üigates, bomb kctchcs and fire ships; the rest are Transports and Store Ships-On the 8th. we got si~ht of the Island of Newfoundland ; very high land, a great part whereof covered with snow-The 9th. we entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence The llth came in sight of land nigh the Bay of Gaspé. Thi ~ night it blcw a pretty hard gale at N. W. llegimcnts 'on the Expedition : 15th. Amherst's...... 500 )Icn. ~Sth, Bragg' s...... 550 " 35th. Otwuy':;...... 800 " ·:t:l nl. Kcnnedy's...... 630 " 4 ïth. Lascelle' s...... 500 " 48th. Webb's ...... 800 " :J8tb. Anstrutber::> ...... 500 c: ~ ~ uth i :;nd. Battallion ) ") A . v • 1 ~ 1\Oya1 mencans. 1000 l :Jrd. Battallion J " 150rd. Frazer·s ...... 1100 cc Grenadiers of the :23nd . .füth. and} 300 .. -±5th. Re!!iment.:. from Louisbourcr L. ~· o .\rtillcry, ...... 300 ",, ltangcr~ 1 ••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••.•.••••••• 400 Light Infautry,...... 200 " î'I ln g rvs~ uppo 'ed :1 t most: ...... liOll '.) •) On the l:)th. June, we entorecl the River ,'t. Lawrence at night 18th, came to anchor at the Isle of Bic: J f1th. anchored at Isle Verte 20th. at Isle Rouge ; herr we bad a contrary wind and strong tide running about six knots an hour, which retards us very much as we are obliged to anehor when the tid'l begins to ebb. I observe the banks of the river berc, and for sorne leagucs belo~, are inhabited, most! y on the South Side. Saturday, 23rd. June.-'fhe wl1ole of our Division ancbored nigb the Isle aux Coudres. Two Boats having gone from our fleet to sound near the shore, were fired on by the Indians, as they say, with two pound swiyels ; they came pretty nigh them, but no body was burt. 'V e found Admirai Durell wi th most part of bis Squadron at Coudres. We are told there are tbrce large ships of his Squadron at Orleans I:;le. Sunday, 24th. June.--A New England Scbooner run on the rocks at bigh watet· ; and it is ...... (four pages wanting here) and The 15th. 43rd. our Regiment were ordered to strike our Tents and cross to the south side of the River, The 15tb. crossed, but as it came on night, the 43rd.~and ours remained, lying on our arros ali night. Saturday, 30th. June.-The 43rd. and our Regiment crossoll and joined the 15th. and some Rangers we are told, had a. skirmish with sorne Canadians and Indians they killed three and took tlll'ee prisoners of the Enemy. We marched through the wood along a gond road, towards Point Levy, for ahont three or four miles, when the Rangers in front were fircd on from the woods they skirmished for sorne time, and the troops were ordered to hait. Sorne of our Rangers were wounJeJ, but the Enemy were obliged to retire. We theo marcbed on till we came to the church of St. Jos9ph at Point Levy, when we wereagain at tacked in front. Brigadier l\Ionckton ordered the troops to march in the open field by the River side, and the Rangers, Light Iofantry and aùvanccù parties continued 4 popping with the cncmy most part of the evening, till Captain Campbell of Colonel Fraser's Regiment, who was posted with bis C0mpany in the church, ordered a part of his Company to fi.re a volley at them, when the firing almost ceased, and I suppose most part of the enemy retired as we hear but fcw sbots thereafter-but I hear we lost a few men. W e lay on our arms ail this night. Sunday, lst. J uly.-The French sent sorne floating batteries f!'om the other side of the river to play upon us ; the Regi ments were ordered to stand to their arrns. I was ordered with Ensign 1\Ic. Kenzie to the colours, and they cannonaded us for about half an hour. Tbere were four of our Regiment killed and eight wounded; and one Sergeant of the 15th. Regiment and eigbt of the Colour's Company were knocked down with one hall, behind the Colours, and all wounded, two I believe, mortally. This day, we pitchP.d our tents at Point J..~evy. 1\Ionday; 2nd. J uly.-A detachment ordered out with General Wolfe to reconnoitre the high ground, on the South Si de of the river, opposite to Quebec. They fired sorne cannon shot on us from the Town, and tbere was sorne popping shots on our Rangers from the wood, but no execution- wc returned before night. I found our Company in the Church, having been or dered to relieve Captain Carnpbell's. While we were out, I ob served severa} dead bodies on the road. not far from our Camp ; they were ail scalped and mangled in a shocking manner. I dare say no human creature but an Indian or Canadian* • It is doubtless praiseworthy in the brave Colom1l to try and palliatc the atrocities committed by one of the armies during this campaign. That the Indiaus fighting for the cause of France scalped freely, we fi nd admitted on ail bands : that the soldier~ in the British army occasionally did the same, it would be useless to deny, in face of history and of the many en tries to tbat effect in the principal English account of the campaign, Capt. Johu Knox's Journal. 'l'he scalpiug service arcordiug to Kuox1 seems to bave could be guilty of such inhumanity as to inf:u!t a dcad boùy. We are busy fortifying our Camp with redoubts &c. Thursday, 5th. ,J uly. Colonel Burton with the 48th. Regi ment marched and took post along with sorne Rangers and Light Infantry on the hill, where the General was recon noitering ou the 2nd. I hear they are busy fortifying their Camp. Friday, 6th. J uly.-I hear we have begun to erect two Bat teries, one of six guns and another of five mortars, near Colonel Burton's post. Snturday, 7th. J uly.-Very busy at the works at Colonel Burton 's post. Sunday, 8th.-Thc three Regiments, (15th, 43rd. and 63rd.) encamped at Point Levy received orders to strike their tents by one o'clock to-morrow morning. Admira! Holmes in the Dublin, with sorne frigates and bomb ve&sels came to anchor opposite to the French Ca!np, on the west side of the Fall of Montruorency, and began to cannonade and bombard their camp. Monday, 9th. Bcfore day.light, we struck our tents at Point devolved chiefly on the Rangers commauded by a Captain Gore. ham :Vol, I Page 309, we read of C'apt Goreham and his rangers lying in am bush and "scalping niue Indians." Page 348, Knox says "we took el even scalps" " at Ange Gardien" Page 345, we find that scalping was getting so corn mon that the Generul strict ly fo?·bids the inhuman practice of scalping, except when the en emy are Indians, or Canadians dressed like lndians. In view of this order a wounded regular of l\1ontcalm's corps falling in the bands of Capt Goreham must frequently have had reason to exrlaim in the words of the French play " Oh! mon habit que je vous remercie ! Page 302, we read of "seven of the troops of the colony being scalped" by Wolfe's rangers. Vol. II, Page 17, the ubiquitous Goreham and his rangers are at work again; the Captain "sends an express to the General to acquaint bim, tbat he bas burnt a large settlement, and made som e prison ers; th at his rangers met sorne Canadians dressed like Indians, had routed them and took a few scalps." Query? wert) they obliged to dress at ali, to be like Indians? The punctiliousness of the Captain on the score of dress appears great! l These out of many other instances are adduced, to show what was the nature of the warfare in use in those days, and that t!Je barbarous system of scalpiug, was praetised by the white ruan as weil as the red man of the woods. (J l\I, L ) c J1cvy, and marehcd bchinù a little hill nigh the Uamp, and out of sight of the Town, where we lay on our arros till to wards evcning. The French have likewise struck their tents in the Camp whi.ch -was Cilnnonadcù by our ships last night, and we observed sorne tcnts pitched on theEaBt Srde of Mont morency this morning, which we are told is the Brigade of our Army un der the command of Brigadier Townshend, who crosscd over to that place last night from the Isle of Orleans. In the eveniog, we returned to our camp at Point Levy, and pitched our tents as formerly. Tuesday, lOth. July-The Town has begun to bombardand cannonadc our works on the south side of the river, at Colonel Burton's post, very briskly, but have hitherto done us no hurt. I hear one of the 48th. Regiment (Webb's) has deserted this day to the Enemy (An Irishman.) Last night the French began to throw shells at our Fleet, and this morning the Ships who iay nearest them thought proper to remove further off. I hear there were twclve of Capt. Goreham's Company of Rangers, killed by the Indians close to Brigadier Townshend's camp, in an ambuscade. The Indians were at last beat off haviog left thrce dead. A party of our Rangers having been sent out on this side of the river, (the south) on the 9th they took one man prisoner and two boys (his childrcn) having followed him a little way, making a great noise, were in a most. inhuman manner murdercd by those worse thau savage Rangers, for fe:u, as they pretend, they should be discovercd by the noise of the children. I wish this story was not fact, but l'rn afraid therc is little reason to doubt it : -the wretches having boasted of it on their return, tho' they now pretend to vindicatc themselyes by the necessity they were under ; but, I believe, this barbnous action proceeded from that cowardice and barbarity which seems so natural to a native of America, whether of Inàian or European cxtrac- 7 tion. In othcr instances, those Rangers have hithcrto becn of sorne use, and shewed in general a better spirit than usual. They are for most part raised in New England. The French have again pitched their camp near the Fall of Montmorency, they have other camps all the way between tbat, and the River St. Charles, which we bear they have fortified with redoubts and breastworks, with batteries at different places on the river side, besides the floating batteries which mo\'e from place to place. Wednesàay, llth July.-The batteries at Col. Burton's post not yet finished : a furious fire of great guns from the town at 12 o'clock ; the General went up that way a little ago, three men of our Regiment wounded at the battery. Thursday, 12th July.·-The six great guns and five mor tars on the battery, near Burton's post, bcgan to play on the Town about nine o'clock at night, and at the same time, two of the Bomb ketches began throwing their shclls into t.be town. Friday, 13th J uly.-I was sent orderly officer to the Camp, at Montmorency, where I had an opportunüy of seoing our own, and the French posts nigh the Fall. The river is farda~ ble below the Fall at low water. 1\'Ionday, 16th July.-The Sutherland a 50 gun sbip, with two frigates, and two transports, mounted with gun~, werc ordered to pass the Town this night, about ten o ' clo~k ~t bigh water, but it seems, they wcrc not ready before the return of the tidc, and by that me::ns the tlJing \ras Jrc1pt for this night. lt was thought they rni~!tt have passcd as the wind and tide was for them. Wednesday, 18th J uly. -'rhe Sutherl:.tnd ,vith the Squirrel Frigate, two catts and two arrned ::;]oops passed the Town with out recciving any hurt. Then: wa:s i\ few shot fired from the Town. 'l'he Diana Frigate unluckily run ashore, but it i~ thought will be got off. I heur there is a Battaliou of the Hoyal Americans, with tl11·ee Cowpanies of GreHaùicrs (A1u 8 hct·st's, Webbs, and Fraser's) on board the ships which passed. Kennedy's Grenadiers werc on board the Diana, but obliged to be landed when she run aground. '11hursday, 19th July.-Thc Diana bas got off, having been obliged to land ber guns. It is said she is not rouch dam~tged. Friday, 20th J uly .-A man of Ca pt. Simon Fraser's Corn. pany of Light Infantry (of 63rd Regiment) was killed by a Canadian whom, with his son, they made prisoners. Saturday, 21st J uly.-The three companies of Grenadiers, 15th, 48th and 63rd. with the Battaiion of Royal Americans who passed the Town, landed about twclve miles above it, when they were opposed by sorne Indians and Canadians whom they soon obliged to retire, and having taken about sixty prisoners, mostly wvmen, and killed sorne of the Indians, they again embarked, without having any killed on our side; but, I hear Major Prevost, of the Royal Americans, is dangerously wounded, in the head, nnd Lieut. Charles Macdonell, of our Grenadiers, wounded in the thigh, not dangerously. It is said, thcre were about fourteen privates wounded, ( all Highlanders) by a fire from the Americans, who, mistook them for the Enemy in the wood ; it being in the evening, and dark. 5unday, 22nd July.-The Leosto:ff frigate and Hnnter sloop of war attcmptcd to sail past the Town of Quebec, but the wind having come ahead whcn they bad just got abreast of the batteries, and the French having begun a smart canonadc, they werc forced to return, but without "receiving any damage, wbich was more than '1\"e expected. 1\Ionday, 23rd July.-Things rernain as yesterday. Tuel:lda.y, 2-:1: July.-Col. Fraser, with a detachment of about 350 men of his Regiment, marched this night down the River in order as we hear, to takc up what prisoners and ca.ttle they cu.n li nd , ~Iajor Dulling with the Light Infantry, 'l:!''(ll;ccl 1Ü t!1e ~:Jmo l! t!~' '1!1 .1,~ r \ 0•· og iht' san10 e:•ra d 9 Wednesday, 25 J uly.-Major Dalling's party returned with about tw0 hundred prisoners, mostly women and children, and about thirty Uanadian men, with about tbree hundred head of cattle, horses cows, sheep, &c. A new battery of six 24 pounders and three, sea. mortars ready to play on the Town. Thursday, 26th J uly.-Lieut. Alexander Fraser, Junior returned to camp from the detachment which marched with the Col. of the 2-ith. He brings news of the Colonel's ha.ving been wounded in the thigh, by an unlucky shot from a small party of Canadians who lay in ambush, and fired on the detachment out of a bush, and theo retired. In the evening, the Col. came to camp with Capt. McPhersoo, who was wounded by the same shot, and the baU lodged in his thigh; but it is thought neither of their wounds are dangerous. There wa.s not another man of the detachment touched. We did not hear of Capt. McPherson's being wounded till he came to camp. I hear the General went out this day with Otway's Regiment and was attacked by the Indians ; they killed two Officers and thirty of his men, but at last took to their heels, and when they were crossing the riYer Mont morency our people fi red three rounds at them, by whi~h, I am told they killed sixty-two Indiana, which they reckon a very great loss. Friday, 27th J uly.-The detachment returned with three women and one man prisoners, and above two hundred head of cattle. S:tturday, 28th July.-This ni~ht the French sent down a large fire raft which they did not set fl.re to till they were fired on by sorne of the boats who are every night, on the watch for them above the shipping. Our boats immediately grappled it, and tho' it burnt with great violence, they towed it past aU the shipping without any damage. Sunday, 29th July.-Notbing remarkable; I had a lucky escape at Montmorency. 2 10 Monday, 30th July.-We are ordered to be ready to march it a moment's warning. Tuesday, 31st July.-The 15th (Amhert's) and Col. Fra in boats about 11 o'clock, at Point ser's Re"'1ments0 embarked • Levy, and rowed, as if we werc intended t{) land on the opposite shore under the French intrenchments ; when we had got more than half across, Brigadier 1\Ionckton, who com manded us ordered us to row up the river, but the tide being against us we made little way. In this way we continued going sometimes up, sometimes down the River, the enemy throwing a snell at our boats almost every ten minutes, wbich luckily did no execution, till about five o'clock, in the evening when the Grenadiers of the Army under the command of Col. Burton having landed, under the cannon of two large catts, which had been run ashore at high water in the morn ing and bad play'd briskly on the French works ail day, we were immediately ordered to land, which we did, and drew up on the shore. The Grenadiers attacked ::.:1d took a. french battery offour guns, and a recioubt, but having fallen into a little disorder, and the enemy keeping an incessant fire at them from the trenches, the Grenadiers were obliged to retire with sorne loss, behind the 15th ;-our Regiment and the French did not think proper to pursue them. In the mean time, Brigadier Townshcnd with the part of our army posted at l\Iontmorency, crossed the river below the falls, and stood on the beach at the confluence ofthe Montmorency and St. Lawrence Rivers, about a quarter of a mile to the right of our Regiment. In this situation we continued till the Grenadiers and Amherst's regiment bad recmbarked, when General Wolfe haviog put himself at the head of our Regi ment ordered them to face to the right and we marched in the rear•of the army under Brigadier Townshend, who bad by this time begun to recross the river Montmorency. Thus 11 ~ur Regiment had the honour to cover the retreat* of the wh ole army, without receiving any burt, tho' they were exposed, a~ well during the retreat, as wbile they stood on the shore, to a battery of two cannons, with wbich they kept a very brisk fire on us all the time ; but I believe they were a little disturbed by our batteries at Montmorency, as weil as the guns of the two ships whicb were run aground in the morning ; a.nd I dare say, they must have !ost a considerable number, as the works were very strongl.v manned (I mean our great guns). This, I believe, likewise, was the reason why they did not attempt to attack our rear as I believe they were grea tl y superior tous in numbers tho' our whole army was there: wbereas Kennedy's and Webb's with the Marines~ and Dall ing's Light Infantry and the Rangers were left at their former posta. I have not yet got any certain account of the killed ' and wounded. I observed sorne men coming down from the trencbes where sorne of our people lay killed; we imagi?ed they were Indiana who were sent to scalp them, after the wbole bad retreated, our people in the two Catts set them on fire and left them. Wednesday, lst August.-Our Regt. whicb was ordered to the Island of Orleans after the affair last night, were this d!ly ordered back to their former Camp at Point J...~evy-This day Genl. Wolfe in bis orders, bad the following paragraph :- 11 The check which the Grenadiers met with yesterday will, " it is boped, be a lesson to them for the time to come. Such "impetuous, irregular and unsoldier like proceeding destroys "ail order, makes it impossible for their Commandera to form "any disposition for an attack, and puts it out of the Generais " power to execute his plan. The Grenadiers could not " suppose tbat they alone could beat the French ~rmy, and " tberefore it was necessary that the Corps under General -;-Commonly known as the fight of the Beau port Flats in which Wolfe lost about 700 men killed and wounded. 1. ... 1 12 " ~fonckton and Brigadier Townshend could have:time to join, '' that the attack might be general. The first fire of the " Enemy was su:fficient to repulse men who bad lost all sense '' of order and military discipline, Amherst's and the High " land Regiments alone, by the soldier likc cool manner they " were formed in, would have undoubtely beat back the " wbole Oanadian army iftbey bad ventured to attack them. " The Joss however is in considerable and may be easily repair " ed when a favourable opportunity offers, if the men will ~how " proper attention to tbeir o:fficers." Thursaay, 2nd August. Nothing extraordinary. Friday, 3rd do. Things remain as formerly. Saturday 4th do. Nothing remarkable. Sunday, 5th : do. Amhcrst's Regiment marched from their camp at Point Levy this night, and I hear they are to embark on board our sbips above the town, along with l\Iajor Dalling's Light Infantry, and a Battalion of Royal Americans, with a Lieutenant and twenty Rangers, and two hundred marines, in ali about one thou~and three hundred men, under the command of Brigadier Murray, to proceed on sorne expedition, up the river, where the French hwe three Frigates and severa! otber >essels. 1\Ionday, 6th August.- Tuesday, 7th August.-! hear the Geueral has gone out on the other si de (north) with the 47th Regiment and Light lnfantry, in quest of some parties of the en emy. Wednesday, 15th August -Uaptain John McDonell, seven subalterns (of whom I wns one )eight Sergeants, eight Corporals and one hu nd red and fort y four men of our Regt. crossed over from Point Levy to the Island of Orleans, and loàged that njght at the Church of St. Peters. (St. Pierre) Thursday, 16th August.-The Detachment marched to the east end of the island of Orleans, opposite to the Church of St, Jonchim, 13 Friday, 17th August.-Orossed from the Isle of Orleans to St. J oacbim. B efore we landed we observed sorne men walk ing along the fences, as if they inteuded to oppose us; and on our march up to the Church of St. Joachim, we were fired on by sorne party's of the Encmy from behind the bouses and fenccs, but upon our advancing they betook themselves to the woods, from whence they continued popping a~ us, till towards evening, when they thought proper to retire, and \Te kept poss ession of the Priest's bouse, which we set about fortifying m the best manner we could. Saturday, 18tb August.-Remain at St. Joachim. Sunday, 19th '' do. Monday, 20th " do. Tuesday, 2lst " do. W ednesday, 22nd " do. 'l'hursday, 23rd.-We were reinforced by a party of about one hundred lind forty Light Infantry,t and a Company of Rangers, und er the comma nd of Capta in l\Ion tgomery of Kennedy's or forty-third Regiment, who likewise took the command of our detacbment, and wc ail marched to attack the village to the west of St. Joachim, which was occupied by a party of the enemy to the number of about two hundred, as we supposed, Canadians and Indians, when we came prt:!tty near the vi:lage) they fired on us from tLe bouses pretty smartly ; we were ordercd to lie behind the fences till the l~anger11, who were é!etached to attack the Enemy from the woods, began firing on their leit :flank, wbcn we advanceJ briskly without great order ; and the French abandoncd the bouses and endeavoured to get into the woods, our men pursuing close at their heels. There were feveral ofthe enemy killed, "end wounded, and a few pri:;oners taken, all of whom the barbarous Captain .1.\Iontgomery, who command us, t The leader of the forlorn hope who fel! at J'res De Ville 31st. Dece~b(lr l7'HS. 14 ordered to be buchered in a most inhùman and cruel manner; particularly two, !who I sent prisoners by a sergeant, after giving them quarter, and engaging that they should not be killeè., were one shot, and the other knocked down with a Tomabaw k (a little hatchet) and bo~h scalped in my absence, by the rascally sergeant neglecting to acquaint Mon~gomery that I wanted them saved, as he, Montgomery, pretended when I questioned bim about it; but even, tbat was no e:xcuse for su ch an unparalelled piece of barbarity. Howevcr, as the affair could not be remedied, I was obligeè to let it drop. After this skirmish we set about burning the bouses with great success, setting ail in :flames till we came to the church of St. Anne's, where we put up for this night, and we.-e joined by Captain Ross, with about one hundred and twenty men of his company. Friday , 24th August. Began to march and burn as yesterdaJ, till we came to Ange Gardien where our detach ment and Captain Ross, who bad been posted for sorne days at Chateau Ricber, joined Colonel Murray with the three campanie::: of Grenadiers of the 22nd, ·10th and f5~h Regi ments, where we are posted in four bouses which we have fortifiecl so as to be able, we hope, to stand. any attack which we can expect -with small arms. Saturday, 25th. Busy felling the fruit trees, and cutting the wheat to clear round us. Sunàay, 2ôth. The same. 1\Ionday, 27th August.-! hear Brigadier Murray bas re turned wiLh bis detachment, having bad all the success expect ed of the detacbment. We received orders to march to·mor row to Uhateau Richer. Sorne men were observed skulking in the corn, round the bouses we possessed; upon which, sorne of our people fired from one of the bouses, when the whole took the alarm anù continued fuing from the windows and loop ho~c:; for about tcn minutes. For m! o~n ~ar~ I ca~'t sa!,~ 15 JOnld observe any of the Enemy, bufas we bad one man killed, and most of the men affirmed they saw men in the Corn. I can't doubt but tbere were a few of the Enemy near us. Tuesday, 28th August.-Captain :Mc. Donell with Captain Ross, and the rest of the Detachment marcbed, and took post at Chateau Richer. Wednesday, 29th August.-Captain Ross, with the Subal terns an·d about one bundred men went out reconnoitring, returned about eleven c'clock with a Canadi~n, whom they took pnsoner. He says he came from Quebec three days ago, but knows nothing, Thursday, 30th August.-Remain at Chateau Richer forti fying ourselves in the bouse and Churcb in the best ruanner we can. Friday, 31st August.-Received orders to burn the bouses at Chateau Richer, but not the Churcb, and return to Mont morency to-morrow morning. Saturday, lst September.-Our Detacbment marcbcd from Chateau Richer to Montmorency, where we, wcre cantoned in some bouses and barns, baving been joined on our marcb by Colonel :Murray, with the three Companies of grenadiers from Louisburg at Ange Gardien. Wc burnt all the bouses &c. between that and the Camp. Sunday, 2nd September.-The Louisburg Grenadiers and our Detachment, witb a Battalion of the Royal Americans were ordered to cross to the Island of Orleans from whence our detnchment was carried in boats this night to vut Camp at Point Levy. Monday, 3rd September.-The Army at Montmorency de. camped this day, and crossed to the Island of Orleans, and from theD;ce to Point Levy, without molestation from the French, tho' they must have known sorne time ago that we intended to abandon that post. This day died, my worthy Captain, Alexander Cameron, 16 of Dungallon, univers ::llly regreted by all those who knew him as a fine gentleman and a good soldier. Tucsday, 4th September.-Arrived Captain Alexander Fraser of Culduthell with a 14th. Company to our Regiment; Ca pt. Cameron was intered in front of our Colours, with the • usual solemnities. Wednesday, 5th September.-I hear the 28th, 47th, 35th. and 58th. Regiments, with the whole of the Light Infantry; have marched on the south shore, above the town, and em barked on board the ships above the town; the 15th. 43rd. and a detachment of six hundred o~ our regiment are ordered to follow them to-morrow. Thursday, 6th September.-The 15th, 43rd. and a Detach· ment of six hundred of our Regiment marched about five or six miles above Point Levy, when we crossed the river. Tres Chemins, (E tchemin) and embarked on board the ships above the town. We are much crowded : the ship I am in, has about six hundred on board, being only about two hunùred and fifty tons. Friday, 7th September.-The army above the town bcing about four thousand strong, continue on board the ships, most of the men above deck, tho' it is very rainy weather. Saturday, 8th September.-Remain as forrnerly on ship board; very bad weather. Sunday, 9th September.-About fifteen hundred men wera ordered on shore, on the south side of the riyer. IVe hèar we are to land soon on the north side. IVe see a numb€\r of the French intrenched there, on a beach,where they have got sorne floa ting batteries. 1\Ionday, lOth Septembér.-As above. Tuesday, 11 th September.-The troops landed on the south shore, ordered to reernbark to rnorrow morning. " Ordered '' also :-That the Troops do hold tbemselves in readiness to " land and attack the Enemy ;-As the Leostaff and.Squirrel 17 "FrigatE>s are ordered to follow the fiat bottomed boats, thé " Troops belonging to those ships are to remain in them, " and the boats intended for these Corps are to take in others "according to the follo'\\ing distribution:- " Distribution of the Flat bottomed Boats. " Stirling Castle, ...... 2) To take 50 into each of Bragg's " Dublin, ...... 3 )> Regt. out of the Ann & Elizabeth " Alcide, ...... 1 J instead of the Amherst. " One hundred and fifty Highlanders to be removed from the " George transport, into the Seahorse frigate. One hundred " Highlanders to be removed from the Ann and Elizabeth " Transport, to the Seahorse to morrow morning, after the re " embarkation of the first body of the Troops from Brigadier · " General Monckton's Corps. " Order of the Troops in the line of Boats : " lst. Light Infantry lead in 8) " 2nd. Bragg's Regiment ...... in 6 1 "3rd Kennedy's li egiment ..... in 4 ?- Boats. " 4th Lascelle's Regiment ....• in 5 1 " 5th Anstruther's Regiment. in 6 J " 6th Detachment of Hi~hlanders .. } 1 flat and the men of · " and Royal American Grenadiers.. war boats, " Captain Shade has reccived the Generais' directions in . " respect to the order in which the troops move, and are to . " land, and no Officer must attempt to make the least altera " tion or interfere with Captain Shade's particular province, , " !east (as the boats move in the night) there may be con ': fusion and disorder amongst them." " The troops will go into the Boats about nine o'clock to " morrow, night, or when it is pretty near high water, but . " the Naval Officers commanding the different divisions of " boats will apprise them of the fittest time, and as there will " be a necessity of remaining some part of the night in the " boats, the offi.cers will provide accordingly, and the soldiers 11 will have a gill of rum extraordinary to mi~ with their water. v•) u Arm!l, ammunttlon and two day's provision!!, wlth thetr " rum and water is aU the Soldiers are to take into the boats, " The S,hip!l with the blankets, tenta, necessaries, &c. will " soon be u P• SIGNALS.-" lst. For the flat bottomed boata with the troops u on board to rendez-voua abreast of the Sutherland, between u ber and the South Shore, keeping near her, one Lig'.lt in " the Sutherland, main top mast sbrouds. " 2nd. When they are to drop away from the Su~her lan d , " she will show two lights in the main top mast shroud ~, one " over the other. " The men to be quite silent, and when they are about to " land must not upon any account fi re out of the boa ta. " The Officers of the N avy are not to be ioterrupted in " theh· part of the duty, they will Lave received their orders, " from the officer appointed to superintend the whole, to whom " they are answerable. " Officers of Artillery and Detachments of Gunoers are put " aboard the armed sloops to regula te their fi re, that in the "hurry our Troops may not be burt by our own artillery. " Cap tain Y orke and the Officers will be particularly ca re " fui to distinguish the Enemy, and to point their fire against " them. " The Frigates will not fire till broad day light, o that no " miatake cao be made. " The Officers Commanding Floating Batteries will receive u particular orders from the General. "The Troops to be supplied with provisions to morrow, till " the 14tb." Wednesday, 12th September.-We wero busied in cleaninO' /:) ()Ur nrms and distributing ammunition to our men. This day our brave General gave his last written orders in the following worde : 19 Cl ON BOARD THg SUTH:IRLANU, "12th September, 1759. '' The EnP.my's force is now divided ; great scarcity of pro· " visions in their Camp, and universal discontent among the 11 Canadians. The second Officer in command (Levi) is gone to " Montreal or St, John's, which gives reason to think that '' General Amherst is advanciog into the Colony. A vigoroua "blow struck by the Army at thisjuncture may determinè the " fall of Canada. Our troops below- are in readiness to join 11 us. Ali the Light Artillery and tools are, erubarked at the 11 Point of Levy, and the Troops will land where the French " seem !east to expect them. " The first body that gets on shore is to march directly to " the Enemy, and drive them from any little post they may " occnpy. The Officers must be careful that the succeeding 11 bodies do not, by any mistake. fire upon those that go on " before them. u The Battalions must form upon the upper ground with 11 expedition, and be ready to charge whatever presents itself. 11 When the Artillery and Troops are landed, a Corps will n be left to secure the landing place, while the rest march on " and endeavour to bring the French and Canadians to a " battle. " The Officers and men will remember, what their Country '' expects from them, and what a determined body of soldiers, " inured to war are capable of doing against five weak French " Battalions, mingled with a disorderly Peasantry. " The Soldiers must be attentive and obedient to their 11 officers, and resolute in the execution of their duty." About 9 o'clock, the night of the 12th. we went into the Boat!i as ordered. Rendezvoused abreast of the Sutherland ; fell down with the tide about 12 o'olook, and a lit.tle before four ill the mol'ning, wers tl red on by "French four Guu Ba.ttery, nbuut two mlleu ~bgve thu Town. Pu~Md ~Wi"cli ~b~ ahoft àt dl\y bl'ttêk (!Jj, 20 Thur!!day, 13th Septcmr 17 59. The Light Infantry undcr the command of' Colonel Howe, immediately landed and mountcd the hill. We were fired on in the Boats by the Eoemy who killed and wounded a few. In a short time, the wh ole Arro y was landed at a place called " Le Foulon," ( now Wolfe' a Oove) about a mile and a half above the Town of Quebec, and immediately followed the Ligbt Infantry up the hill. There was a few tents and a Pickct of the French on the top of the hill whom the Light Infantry engaged, and took Borne of their Officers and mt:ln prisoners. The main body of our Army soon got to the upper ground after climbing a bill or rather a precipice, of about tbree hundred yards, very steep and covered witb wood and brusb. We bad severa! skirmishes with the Oanadians and Savages, till about ten o'clock, wben the army was formed in line of batt!P., baving the great Ri•er, St. Lawrence on the right witb the precipice wbicb we mounted in the morning ; on the left, a few bouses, and at sorne distance the low ground and wood above the General Hospital with the River St. Charles; in front, the Town of Quebec, about ::1. mile distant; in the rear, a wood occupied by the ~ight Infantry, (who bad by this time tuken possession of the French four gan Battery) and the third Battalion of the Royal Americans. In the space between which last and the main body, the 48th. Regiment was drawn upas a body of reserve. The Army was ordered to march on slowly in line of hattie, and hait severa! times, till about half an hour after ten, when the French begau to appear in great numbers on the rising ground betwecn us aod the Town, and having advanced severa! parties to skirmish with us ; we did the like. 'They theo got two Iron field pieces to play against our li ne. Be fore el even o 'clock, we got one bras~ fJeld piece up the Hill, which being placed in the proper iuter val began to play very smartly on the Enerny while formiog on the little eminence. 'fheir advanced parties continueù to annoy us and wou~de? a great many men. About thi9 time, we ob- 21 eerved the Enemy f01·meJ, having a bush of short brush ·wood on tbeir right, wbich straitened them in room, and obliged them to form in columns. About elev~n o'clock, the French Army advanced in columns till they had got past the bush of · wood into the plain, wben they endeavoured to form in line of Battle, but being much galled by our Artillery, which consist ed of only one field piece, very well sen·ed, wc observed them in sorne confusion. However they advanced at a brisk pace till within about thirty or forty yards of our front, whcn they gave us their first fire, which did little execution. W e returned i t, and continued fi ring very hot for about six, or (as some say) mght minutes, when the fire slackening, anJ the smoke of the powder vanishing, we observed the main body of the Enemy retreatiog in great confusion toward::; the Town, and the rest towards the River St. Charles. Our Regiment were then ordered by Brigadier General l\1 urray to draw their swords and pm·sue them; which I dare say increased their panic but saved many of their lives, whereas if the artillery bad been allowed to play, and the army adl'anced regularly thore would have been many ru ore of the En emy killcd and wounded, as we never came up with the main body. In advancing, we pasaed over a great many dead and wounded, (french regulars mostly) lying in the front of our Regiment, who,-I mean the Ilighbnders,-to do them ju~tice, behuved cxtremely weil ali day, as did the whole of the army. After pursuiog / the French to the very gntes* of the Town, our Regiment was ordered to fonu fronting the 'fown, on the ground whereon the .French formed first. At this time, the rest of the Army came up in good order. General Murray having th en put himself at the head of our Regimeut, .ol'dered them to f,we to the left and ruarch thro' the bush · of 'yo.od, towards the General Hospital, when they got a greut guu or two to play upon us • Few of them cntered the town the great bulk maldug towards thta bridge of boats, near tho, Geoeral1IoRpital and r~gained the ~:amv at Eeauport. 22 from the Town, which however did no .damage, but we had a fcw men killed and Officer& wonnded by sorne skulking fellows, with small arms, from the bushes and behind the bouses in the suburbs of St. Louis and St. John's. After marching a short way through the brush, Brigadier l\1 urray thought proper to order us to return again to the high road leading from Porte St. Louis, to the beights of Abraham, where the battle was fought, and after marchiog till wc got clear of the bushes, we were ordered to turn to the rigbt, and go along the edge of them towards the bank, at the descent between us and the General Hospital, under which we understood there was a body of the Encmy who, no sooner saw us, thau they began fi.ring on us from the bushes and from the bank ; we soon disposs essed them from the bushes, and from thcnce kept firing for about a quarter of an hom on those under cover of the bank ; but: as they exceeded us greatly in numbers, they killed and wounded a great many of our men, and killed two Officers, which obliged us to retire a little, and form again, when tbe 58th. Regiment with the 2nd. Battalion of Royal Americans having come up to our assistance, aH three makinO' about five hundred men, advanced against the Enemy and drove them first down to the great meadow between the Hospital and town and afterwards over the River St. Charles. It was at this time and while in the bushes that our Regimentsuffered most: Lieutenant Roderick, Mr. Neill of Bana, aud Alexander McDonell, and John l\lcDonell, and John l\lcPherson, volunteer, with many of our men , were killed before we were reinforced; and Oaptain Thomas Ross having gone down with about oue bundred men of the 3rd. Regiment to the meadow, afrer the Enemy, when tbey were out of reaob , ordered me up to desire tbose on the height woulù wait till he would come up and join thom, wbi h I did, btlt beto•e ~Ir. RosJ oould get up, he unfortu nat t1ly wr.a mor~llf wouflù~J ~P th bo~y , by ~~ ·lln»~» lln\l t'rem tho bulb, tn t~ mou th of the River St. Charles, of which he died in great tor" ment, but with great resolution, in about two hours thereafter. In the afternoon, .Mons. Bougainville with the French Gren'ldiers and some Canadians, to the number of two thousand who bad been detached to oppose our landing at Cape Rouge, appeared between our rear and the village St. Foy, formed in a line as if he intended to attack us ; but the 48th Regiment with the Light lnfantry and 3rd Battalion Royal Americans being ordered against him, with some field pieces, they fired a few cann0n shot at him when he thought proper to retire. Thus ended the ba~tle of Quebec, the first regular engage ment that wc was fought in North America, which bas made the king of Great Britain rn aster of the capital of Canada, and it is hoped ere long will be the means of subjecting the whole country to the British Dominion ; and if so, this bas been a greater acquisition to the British Empire than al! that En gland hns acquired by Conquest since it was a nation, if I may except the conquest of Ireland, in the rcign of Henry the 2nd. The Enemy's numbers I have never been able to get an exact account of. We imagined them seven or eight thousand : this has been disputeed since. However, I am certain they were greatly superior to us in numbers, as thcir li ne was equal to ours in lcngth, tho' they were in sorne places nine dcep, whereas, ours was no more than three deep. Add to this, their advanced parties and those in the bushes, on ali bands, I think they must exceed five thous.anù. Our strength at the utmost did not cxceed two thousand meu in the line, exclusive of the 15th. Regiment and 2nd. Battalion Royal Amcricans, who were drawn up on our left, fronting the River St. Charles, with the 3rd. Battalion Royal Americans and Li~ht Infantry in the rear, and the 48th. Regiment who were drawn up between our main body and the Light Infantry as a Corps of Rel'!erve. So, that I am pretty 24 certain our numbers did not exceed four thousand men, the Regiments bcing very wcak, most of them under three hundred men each. We bad only about five hundred men of our Army killed and wounded, but we suffered an irrep1rable loss in the dea th of our commander the brave·Major General .James 'Volfe, who was killed in the beginning of the general action ; wc had the good fortune not to hear of it till all was over. The French were supposed to have about one thousand men killed and wounded, of whom five hundred killed during the whole day, and amongt tl:.ese ~Ionsieur le Lieutenant Général Montcalm, the commander in chief of the French Army in Canada, one Brigadier General, one Colonel and severa! other Officcrs. I imagined there had been many more killed and wounded on both sides, as there was a hcavy fire for sorne minutes, especially from us. We bad of our Regiment three officers killed and ten wounded, one ofwhom Captain Simon Fraser, afterwards died. Lieutenant Archibald Campbell was thought to have been mortally wounded, but to the surprise of most people recovered, Captain .John )IcDonell thro' both thighs ; Lieut. Ronald McDonell thro' the knee ; Lieutenant Alexander Campbell thro' the leg; Lieutenant Douglas thro' the arm, who died ofthis wound soon afterwards ; Ensign Gregorson, Ensign McKenzie and Lieutenant Alexander Fraser, ail slightly, I received a contusion in the right shoulder or rather breast, before the action bccome general, which pained me a good deal, but it did not disable me from my duty then, or afterwards. The detachment of our Regiment conRisted, at our marching from Point Levi, of six hundred men, besidcs commissioned and non commissioned Officcrs ; but of these, two Officers and about sixty men were lefc on board for wn.ut of boats, and an Officer anJ nbout thirt.y mon left at the landiug place : besides 25 a few left sick on board, so that we bad about five hundred men in the action. We suffercd in men and Officers more than any three Regiments in the field. We were commanded by Captain John Campbell ; the Colonel and Captain 1\fc. Pherson having been unfortunately wounded on the 25th. July, ofwhich they were not yet fully recovered. We lay on our Arms all the night of the 13th. September. Friday, 14th Septcmber.-W e got ashore our tents and encamped our Regiment on the ground where they fought the hattie yesterday. He we are within reach of the guns of the town. Saturday, 15th September.-We were ordered to move our Camp nigh the wood, at a greater distance from the Town. We are making advanced redoubts within five hundred yards ofthe town. Sunday, 16th September.-Nothing extraordinary . • Monday, 17th September.-.l'llonsieur de Ramsay Governor of Quebec, sent out a flag of Truce with articles of capitula tion for the Town, which were agreed to, and signcd on the 18th in the morning, by Admirai Saunders and General Towooend, after sorne alteration. That night, the town was taken possession of by the Lonisbourg Grenadiers, and a party of the· Light Infantry. W e remained eucamped till the ...... October, when the army marched into Town, wbich is to be our Quarters for the winter, most of the bouses ara destroyetJ, and we have but a very dismal prospect for seven or eight months, as fresh provisions are very scarce, anù every Qther thiog exorbitant! y dear. October the ...... Admiral Saunders sailed for England with the men of war and transports; and on the ...... General Monkton with the last ships sailed, having appointed Brigadier Murray, Governor of Que bec. About the begining of November, a detacl1ment of about seve n hundred men went from the garrison1 and m'lrcbed to 4 26 Cap Rouge, about nine miles from Town. In a day or two Colonel \V elsh was sent to take the command of that Detach ment and to make an attack upon the enemy's post at Pointe aux-Trembles, but this attempt not answering as the enemy were alarmed, they returned and took post at Lorette and St. l!'oy, the first about three, and the last place about one and a half leagues from Town. The design of that post is, (imagine, as well to protect the party to be employed in cutting wood at St. Foy, as to hinder the enemy from insulting the garrison by their Indiana or other parties. 22nd. November.-The French ships and frigates which lay ail summer in the river Richelieu near Three RiverB, came down in sight of the Town. On the 24th. four of those ships were drove ashore, and entirely lost. Captain l'lliller of the Race Horse Frigate, (which with the Porcupine Sloop were left by Admirai Saunders to win ter berc) and his Lieutenant with about fifty men went • in a Schooner to reconnoitre the Ships, drove ashore. Tho Captaio, Lieutenant and betweeo thirty and forty men, boarded the nearest, which was aground on the East Side of the River Etchemin, after staying sorne minutes on board, the Vesse! blew up, and it is thought all the people on board perished. Our Schooner was soon thereafter boarded by Boats from the French Frigates, and taken, after a stout resistance, Captain Miller and the Lieutenant were next day carried to Town, but c.lied in a few da ys of their wounds. 28th November.-At night eight of the French ships passed the Town being smartly fired on from our BatterieE", but as the night was dark, it is thought we did them no great damage. December, lst.-The Governor ordered two weeks wood to be issuec.l to the Garrison. It is thought we shall have a great deal of difficulty in supplying ourselves with fuel this win ter. The wint r i s now very severe. 27 December 20th.-The winter is become almost insupportably cold. The men are notwithstanding obligcd to drag all the wood used in the Garrison on sledges from St. Foy, about four miles distance. This is a very severe duty; the poor fellows doit however with great spirit, tho' several of them have already lost the use of their fingers and tocs by the incredible severity of the frost, and the countt·y people tell us it is not yet at the worst. Sorne men on sentry have beert deprived of speech and sensation in a few minutes, but hitherto, no persan bas !ost his life, as care is taken to relreve them every half hour or oftcner when the weather is very severe. The Garrison in general are but indifferently cloathed, but our regiment in particular is in a pitiful situation having no breeches, and the Philibcg is not ali calculated for this terrible climate, Colonel Fraser is doing ali in his power to provide trowsers for them, and we hope soon to be on a footing with other Regiments in that respect. January, 1760.-Nothing remarkable during this month. The duty is very severe on the poor men ; wc mount every day a guard of about one hundred men, and the whole off duty with a subaltern offieer from each Regiment are employed in dragging fire wood ; tho' the weather. is su ch th at they are obliged to have all covercd but thcir oyes, and nothing but tbe last neccssity obliged any men to go out of doors. J anuary 16th. 1 went on command to Lorette, one of the out-posts established in November. The French have a post at St. Augustin, about three miles distant, I rcturncd 30th J anuary, nothing extraordinary while at Lorette, a tew dcser ters came into us from the French posts. About the 5th or 6th February the River St. Lawrence was qui te frosen over at Qucbec. We are told thore is an officer's and french party of about two hundred men at Point Levy. On tbe lqth Februal'J, 1760, The Light Infantry and two hund.r~d men from th€! Bllttaliona w~ r6 ~ en t ovor to dr~ V@ .the FrengJl fi'onl :f'gJnt. L ~vy , T4ol oppo ~etl th~ }!mdfn~ r~î· 30 On the night of the 2Gth April, a man of the French army who, with sorne others had been cast away in a bont that night, came down the river on a piece of icc, and being taken up next morning at the Town, gave the General infor mation that the chevalier de Levi, was within twenty miles of us, with an army of about twelve thousand men, made up of regulars, Canadians and savages. 27th April, 1760. The Governor marched out, with the Grenadiers :\nd Piquets of the garrison, to support the Light Infautry which bad taken post sorne days bcfore near Cap Itouge. By the time he got out, the vanguard of the French army appeared ; upon which, he thought it adviseable to withdraw the Light Infantry, and ali the other outposts, and retire to Town ; and for that purpose he sent orders to the 28tb, 47th and 58th and Colonel Fraser's Re~imcnt to march out toSt. Foy and covcr his retreat ; the 35th Regi ment, 2nd Battalion Royal Americans having bcen detached in the morning to prevent the enemy, in case they attempted to land at Sillery or any other place near the "Town. The retreat was accordingly effected witbout any los.<:, tho' the enemy were so nigh as to skirruish with our rear till we got within half a league of the Ramparts. On the 28th April, 1760, about eight o'clock in the morn ing, the wh')le Garrison, exclusive of the Guards, was drawu np on the parade, and about nine o'elock we marched out of Town with twenty pieces of Field Artillery, that is, two to each Regiment. The men were likcwise ordcred to carry a pick axe or spade each. Whcn wc had marched a little way out of Town, we saw the advanced parties of the Enemy nigh the woods, about half a league distant from us. Wben we werc about tbrce quarters of a mile out of Town, the General ordcred the whQle to draw up in li ne of Battle, two deep, and tflka up as nn1oh room as possible, So ll t4§reclfter, ge order oq t~he wen tq tbrow À wn Ui0 intrl'nohing tQol!l, llll~ th~ 31 whole Army to ad vance slowly, dressing by the right, having drawn up the 35th Regiment and 3rd battalion Royal Ameri cans in our rear as a corps of reserve, with one hundred men (in a redoubt which was begun by us a few days preceding) to cover our retreat, in case of necessity. In this arder, we advanced, about one bundred paces, when the canonading begun on our side, and we observed the French advanced parties retiring, and their main body forming in arder of Battle at the edge of the wood, about three hundred paces distant, we continued canonading and advancing for sorne minutes . . The enemy, on their side, played against the left of our ar my, where our Regiment happened to be, with two pieces of cannon and killed and wounded us sorne men. The affair begun now to turn serions, when the General erdered the Light Infantry, who were posted on the right of our army, to attack five companies of French Grenadiers who they obliged to retire, but they being supported by a large column of the enemy, the Light Iniimtry were in their turn obliged to give way, which they doing along the front of our li ne on the right (as I am told) hindered our men on the right from firing for sorne minutes, which gave the coemy full timo to form. On the left, matters were in a worse situation. The company of Volunteers of the garrison, commanded by Captain Donald Mc Donald of our Regiment, and Captain Hazen's company of Rangers, who covered the left flank of our army having been almost entirely destroyed, were obliged to give way ; by this means the left of the 28th Regiment was exposed, and this obliged them to give ground after an obstina te Nsistance ; Colonel Fraser's Regiment was next them to the right, and being in danger of being sur rounded, and at the same time extremely galled by a fire from the Bushes in front and flank, were undcr a necessity of falling buck instantly, when Colonel Fraser who commanded the Left Brigade consist.ing of th e 28tb, 47th and his own 32 Regiment, sent orders to the 47th to retire; they were drawn up with a small rising gronnd in their front, which till then cov~Jred them pretty rouch from the enemy's fire, but as most of the Regiment to the right, as weil as the two Regiments to the left of them, bad by this time retired, it was absolutcly necessary for the47th to quit that ground, otherwise they must inevitably have been surrounded in a few minutes. Most of the Regiments attempted to carry off their artillery, but the ground was so bad with wreaths ofsnow in the hollows, that they were obliged to abandon them, after nailing them up, as well as the intrenching tools. Every Regiment made the best of thcir way to Town, but re ti red however in such a manner that the enemy did not think proper to pursue very briskly, otherwise they must have killed or made prisoners many more than they did. Our loss was about three hundred killed, and about seven hundred wounded, and a few Officers and men made prisoners. W e bad about three thousand in the fie1d, one third of whom had that very day, come voluntarily out of the Hospitals; of these, about five, hundred were employed in dragging the cannon, and five hundred more in reserve, so that we could bad no more than two thousand in the line of battle, whereas the enemy must have had at least four times as many, beside a large body in reserve, and notwitbstanding their great superiority we suffered very little in the retreat, sorne Regiments attempted to rally, but it was impossible to form in any sort of order with the whole, till we got within the walls. Our Regiment bad about four hundred men in the field • near one balf of whom had that day, come out of the Hospital, out of their own accord, Wc had about sixty killed and iorty wounded, and of thirty nine officers, Captain Donald McDonald who commandcd the voluntecr company of the army, ::mù Lieutenant Cosmo Gordon who commanded tho J..~ight Infnn try crmpany of our Regimeut, were both killed in 33 tbe field; Lieutenant Hector McDonnld and Ensign Malcolm Fraser died of their wounds, all very rouch regretted by cvery one who knew them. We had twenty-three mor~ Offi.cr:rs wounded, of this number was Colonel Fraser, who commanded the left wing of the army, and it was with great pleasurc we observed his behaviour during the action, when he gave his orders with great coolness and deliberation. He was touched at two different times ; the first took him in the right breas t but having his cartouche box slung, it luckily struck against the star of it and did not penetrate tho', otherways, must in fallibly have doue his business. The second, he got in the retreat, but striking against the eue of his bair, be received no other damage thau a stiffness in his neck for some da ys. Hcre 1 cannot belp observiog tbat if any unlucky accident had be fallen our Colonel, not only bis Regiment must have suffered an irreparable loss, but 1 think I can, without any partiality say, it would be a loss to his Country. His bebaviour this winter in particular to bis Regiment bas been such, as to make him not only esteemed by them , but by t.he Garrison in gene ral. Captain Alexander Fraser of our Regiment, was wounded in the right temple, nnd thougbt very dangerous, the rest are mostly fl.esh woundR. I received a musket hall in the right groin, which was thought dangerous for three or four day9, ns the bali wa supposed to be lodged, but whether it bas wrought out in walking into Town, or did not penetrate far enough at first to lodge, or is still in, I cannot say, but in twenty dDy s I was entirely cured, and the wound wbich wa~ at first but small waR entirely dosed up. When we marched out, we thought the General did not in tend to give the French hattie ; and as he ordered the Army to carry out intrenching tools, wc thought he meant to throw 1.1p works on the rising ground, before the Town, if the Enemy should not choose to attack bim that i!.ay ; but, it seems he ehnnged his rnind on seeing their situation1 which gave him 5 34 ali the advantage he could desire with such an inferior Army and where, if the Enemy ventured to attack him be could use 'his Artillery, on which was his chief dependance, to the best purpose : having a rising grounù, whereon he might form his Army and plant his Cannon, so as to play on the Enemy as they advanced for about four hundred or five hundred yarde, witb rounJ shot, and whcn they came witbin a proper di~> tance the grape shot must have eut them to pieces. However. it seems he observed the enerny, some formed at the edge of the wood. sorne fonuing, and the rest marching from St. Foy. The bait was too tempting, and his· passion for glory getting the better of his reason he ordered the Army to march and attack the enemy, as he thought, before they could form, in a situation the most desired by them and ought to be avoided by us, a the Canadians and Savages could be used against ns to the greatcst advantage in their beloved (if I may say elemen~) woods. It would give me great pica ure to relate something more to the advantage, of this gentleman who is, in many respects, possessed of several virtue3. and particularly ali the military ones, except prudence and eutirely free of ali mercenary principles ; but, as his èOnduct on this occa ion is universally conderuned by all those who are not immediately dependent on hiru, truth obliges rue to state matters as I believe. they really stood ; more especially as it i not aid he advi~ed with any of those who had a right to be consulted bcfore such a step should be tak~tl. Nay, it is ~aid : that the preceding night, at a meeting with the different Commandants of the Corps, he declarcd his intention of fortifying bimself ou the heights and not. to attack the .Enemy, unle s he should be torced to it, which we werc persuaded ofby hi orders to carry out intrencbing tool . Wc bad very little chance of beatiog tm Army* to four timc our nurobcr; iu a situation wheœ we • Tho othèr accouuts mRko tho French army any thing but Ç. four times" the nutüber of the English army. It appear cerÙ\in 35 eould scarce act: and if the Encrny hnd made a propor use uf their advantage, the consequences must have proved fatal to us, as they rnight have go~ betwix:t us and the Town, eut off our retreat, and by that means ruined us to all intents. Our situation became now extremely critical : ~e were beat in the field, by an army greatly superior in numbers, and obliged to rely on wbat det'ënce we could make within the walls of Quebec, wbich were hithcrto reckoneù of very little consequence against a superior anny. The French that very night after the Hattie. opened treuchea, within Rix: hundr~ d yards of the walls, and weat oo next, 29th April , with their works pretty briskly. For the first two days after t he battle t.here was very little done by us ; and oo the l st. of May. thE: largcst of our block bouses (small square redoubts of Logs, musquct proof) was blown • np by accident, and Captain Uameron of our B.egiment and a. subaltern of the -!8th with several men, dangerously burnt anJ bruised. On the 3rd. day after the battle, the General set about to strengthen or (T may say) fortify tbe Town , und the men workcd with the greaw:.t nlacrity. In a few days there wcre about one huudred additiunal guns mounted, with which our people kept an incessant iire on the enemy, and retardcd their works very much. On the 9th May, the Leostaff Frigate, Captain Dean, ' arrived from Englaud, and brought us-news from thence, and ioformcd us that there was a squadron in the River, whioh m1ght be expected every tide to our assistance. This added grcatly to the spirits of the Gani::;on, and our works were however th at Levi bad the advantageofnum ber, and Mu rra)' the ad- · van tage of position and of a splendid p:.trk of artillery, sorne twenty · odd field pieces on a. rising ground, whilst Levi bad but two guns and his troops were fatigued by tbeir Ja.borious trndge . throngh the Bijou marsh and Suede road, at a. ti me of the year (the zg April) when the winter ~~ow and rai~ ~aQ ~adu the ~·oads nearly impaEsable, 36 carried on brit>kly. The General seemed resoh'cd from tho first to d<'fcnd the place to the h!!t. Thi", noborJy doubted, and every one seemed to forget their late misfortune, and to placo en tire confidence in the Gener,ll's conduct, which all must acknowledge very resolute, when reduced ulmost to ao extrcmit.y. On the llth .May , the French opened two Batte1·ies mount ing thirtcen guns, and oue of t"o mortars. Their Leavy metal consisted of one twenty-fom and two eigbteen pounders, the rest werc nllligbt. They did not seem to confine their fire entirely to any particular part of the Walls, othenvise I believe they might in time bave made a breach, and their tire was not very smart. '\Ye were wasters of a much 8uperior fire, and anooyeù tl,e h:.!siegcrs at their batt.:ries very mucb. Their fire bccJme e>et·y day more and more faint, and it wus generally believed they intended to r:lÏf>e the siege. Oo the 16th .May, in the evening, the Yanguard. commolore Swanton, and Diana Frigate, Captain Scbomberg. arrived from England, and next morning l'ïth May, 1 ïGU , they and the Leost.aff attacked the two French Fri<•ate that lav 0 • at anchor in the Bay, above Uape Diamond: which -wheo they tirst obscrved, they made as if they iotelllleù to engage> but on our ships appro:whing nearer, they set ail up the river ; but one of them ràn a::-hore immediately, and OLlr Frigates sooa got up with theirs, and obli0 ed. them abo torun agrouud and thereafter destroyed them. One sbip however escaped out of tbeir reach, and unluckily the Leo taff. after ali wa over, ran on a rock, snnk and wa:; entirely lost. That very night severa! deserters came iuto T own, :md informed that most part of the .French army had marched. the Tronches bein_g guarded by their Grenadiers only. About twelve o'clock at night, the General sent out a p:~.rty who fou nd the Trenchei entirely abandoned and next moruin g, 37 18th May, 1760, we found ourselve8 entirely tra&d or •ery disagreeable neighbours, haviog left behind ail their artillery, witb a great part of their ammunition, Camp equipage and ba~gage. What made them retreat with such precipitation we could not guess ; but, H seems they were seized with & panic. It appears they nllowed the savages to scalp ali the killed and most part of the wounded, as we found a great many scalps on the bushes. I bave been since informed by Lieutenant McGregor, of our Regiment, who was left on the field wounded, and narrowly escaped being killed, baving received two stabs of a bayonet from two French Regulars, tbat he saw the savages murderiog the wounded and scalping them on ali ~;ides, and expected every moment to share the same fate, but was saved by a French Officers, who luckily spoko a little Englisb.